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What does the word cousin mean when used as a verb? By context I take it to mean that someone is putting someone else on or being difficult with someone else.

For example, in The Dark Tower (Stephen King) series Wizard and Glass, a character, Eddie, is pressuring another character, Roland, to tell a story of his youth and of the troubling things that happened to him. Roland has been reluctant to do this until now. When Eddie reminds him of his promise to tell them, he responds thusly:

"Would you think that I was cousining", he said, "if I asked for one more day to think of these things?"

In other examples I have taken it to mean lying or being decietful. Spoilers below:

Later in Wolves of the Calla, Eddie shoots the "eyes" of a robot named Andy, effectively blinding him. Andy beings frantically yelling for help, interspersed with "You cousining bastard!". Eddie previously had lied and tricked Andy into entering a confined space where he would be easier to deal with.

Regardless of instances, the word appears to have a pretty negative connotation of falsity or deceit. I would really like to know a more accepted definition, although I suspect that this use of the word is wholly Stephen Kings doing.

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Probably it is just a spelling mistake.

Definition of COZEN

transitive verb

1

: to deceive, win over, or induce to do something by artful coaxing and wheedling or shrewd trickery

2

: to gain by cozening someone

Merriam-Webster

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